Film marking device



Sept. 12, 1933.

J. A. MILLER ET AL FILM MARKING DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J A. MILLER SN a W m K H P .0 MH Al .7 W.5 ru rm 5A 56 Sept. 12, 1933- J. A. MILLER ET m.

FILM MARKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 13, 1931 FIG. 2

INVENTORSJ' 5.5. A. WA T/(INS "G A G. SIMPSON qun dt A 7' TORNEV as may be located in Patented Sept. 12,1933 I T time s'mras P ENT omen:

1,926,879 FILM mama DEVICE James A. Miller, London, Stanley So it, Watkins, Kew Gardens, and Geoffrey A. G. Simpson London,

England, designers to Electrical Research Products Inc., New York, N. L, a corporation of Delaware Application January 13,

1931, Serial No. 508,483,

and in Great Britain January 10, 1936) This invention relates to sound picture systems and more particularly to the production of'reier-= ence characters upon photographic film employed I in picture and sound recording cameras.

lndthe manufacture of such film records, it is 7 frequently desirable to effect upon the records, certain registration or'indicating marks by means of which particular points or the film record may subsequently be identified. ,Ifarticularly in the immediately after any particular exposure or;

series of exposures has been made while the film is in position in the recording device or cera, hereinafter referred to generically as a cerat This operation, however, suffers from the objec tion that the punchings 01 film remain in the camera and may cause interference with the mechanism of the camerawnd in any case they have to be frequently removed from the camera. It is also thepractice, 'in cinmatograph photog= rephy to effect such a registration or indicating m mark, by taking, at the end of a scene or like, upon a the film, by means oi the ordinary lens and shutter, one or more photographs of a board switch so that both lamps may be simultaneously we alegend. 1 mcordingto the present invention, a photo= graphic registration or indicating? mark is efiected 2 upon the film either before, during or ately after, the exposure of the film while tliel ter remains in the'cam'era by means of sub sidiary exposing device, other than that by which the record is efiected, located within or upon the camera. In other words, a subsidiary is associated withtlie main camera and can be utl to make records upon the film, -The regis tration marks efiected by this subsidiary the margin of the film record, tor at any other desired'pomt thereon. simultaneous sound and picture records are being made upon. separate registration marks may be effected in corresponding positions on both the so picture film and upon the sound film. Tlilli'l by proper relative positioning 0! the registration T marks of the two negative records with respect to a positive record filmin the printing operation, the sound and picture records may be efi'e'cted upon the positive film with a correct displacement sociated with this electrical circuit so that they to suit'tmy particular reproducing and projecting machine. l i

In its application to the sound recording camera the invention comprises alight-tight chamber having a lens mounted in one wallthereof, a plurality of adjustable legend bearing suriaceswithin the chamber and opposite to the lens, and a lamp located adjacent but screened from the lens and adapted to illuminate the legend bearing surfaces. An image of the legend bearing surfaces is thus projected upon the sound film by light reflected from the surfaces and focussed by the lens. The legend bearing surfaces may consist of a plurality of cylindrical collars severally mounted uponnested hollow spindles which project through the wall or walls of the light-tight chamber so that they can-be manually rotated from the outside of the chamber.

Knit-s application to the picture camera the invention comprises a light-tight chamber containing a light source located adjacent to a'ndregistered with respect to a guide roller or the like over which the passes in the camera. A lens is mounted in one wall or the chamber to concenirate the light from the source upon the picture film, Preferably also a mask with. a. slit therein is disposed adjacent-the lens to produce a narrow line image upon the transverse to the length thereof.

The lamps in sound recording camera and the picture camera respectively may .be connected together with a common electric circuit and energized. Preferably also signal lamps are asare simultaneously energised. These signal lamps may be so mounted as to be visible to the supervisor or other party responsible for the productioii' nd recording of the scene.

Qt embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by way of example only, in the drawings which accompany this specification in which Fig.1 is

a verticaisection through partol a sound recording apparatus and through the light-tight Eng. 2 is a vertical section'through part of the picture camera illustrating the applicationtheretc oi, a light tight chamber according to the invention. Fig. 3 is an electrical circuit diagram illustrating one form of electric circuit by means of which thelamps in the picture cameraand in the sound recording camera may be simultaneously operated.

Referring now to Fig. l, a light-tightcasing 10 preferably or" cast alwninium or the like, is mounted in an orifice in the teen of thesound recording camera. The film 14 upon which the sound sing.

is to be recorded runs over two flanged rollers 16 and 18, immediately below the'light-tight chamber 10. A lens 20, illustrated diagrammatically,

is mounted in alens tube 22 which latter ishel'd by clamping rings 24 and 26 in a web 28 which effectively forms the bottom of the light-tight casing. The lens 20 is adjustably clamped byJthe rings 24 and 26 and split conical sleeve 30 so that it may be moved axially for the purpose of focus- There is provided a removable cover,

plate 7. secured to the casing 10 by means of bolts 8.. The plate 7 is broken away as indicated by the irregular line in order to show the interior of casing '10.

An electric lamp 32 is mounted in the lower part of the'light-tight chamber 10 in such a manner that no light from the filament thereof can fall directly upon the lens 20. Moreover the walls of the chamber 10 are so shaped that no light is reflected from them directly into the lens 20.

-At the top of the light-tight chamber a plu rality of cylindrical collars 34 and 36 are mounted upon nested tubular spindles 38 and 40. A

segment of each of the collars 34 and 36 projects through a hole or slot in a maskingplate 42 which forms the top closure of thelight-tight chamber 10. The groups of nested spindles 38 and 40 are respectively provided with groups of adjusting handles 44 and 46. By rotation of any 1 one of the'handles 44 or 46 the corresponding may be slid in. through a slot 9 in the wall 7 of the light-tight chamberand may be of white material adapted to receive a legend written in pencil or ink thereon. The slide 52 occupies a slot formed in the mask 42. In the operation of the device, the handles 46' and 44 are manipulated to set the collars 34 and 36 in such a manner that the. appropriate numerals or letters en-- graved on these collars protrude through the slots in the mask'42 and face the lens 20. Any required legend may also be written upon the slide 52. When the lamp 32 is energized, the legends so set up are illuminated and an image of these legends is projected upon the film .14 which is thereby exposed. On subsequent development of a film an identifying legend appears thereon.

Referring to Fig. 2 a light-tight chamber in the form of an approximately cylindrical casting 60 is mounted by means of a bracket 62 and set screw 64 to the top of the picturecamera near a guide roller 66 over which the film 68 passes in its passage from the feed sprocket '70 to the gate. The casting 60 is preferably providcdwith two rollers 72 for the purpose of preventing injury to the film. A tubular electric lamp 74 is mounted with-.

in the casting 60. In the side of a casting which is nearest the roller'66 is an orifice containing a lens "76 masked by a disc 78 having 80 therein. I

In the operation of the device shown in Fig. 2 upon the energization of the lamp 74, the light thereof is concentrated by the lens 76 and project'- ed through the slit' 80 to produce a narrow line image upon the film 68 transverse to thelength m of the film.

Referring now to Fig. 3 the lamp 32 in the sound recording camera is connected between earth and a common connection 92, an adjustable precisely determined position upon the picture 'justing said legend bearing surfaces.

resistance 94 shunted by a signal lamp 9!; being included in series with the lamp 32. Similarly the lamp 74 of'the picture camera is connected between earth and the common conductor 92, an adjustable resistance QBshunted by a signal lamp 102 being included in series with the lamp 74.- The lamps 32,74, 96 and 102 are preferably all lamps intended for use with a voltage of 6 volts. The common conductor 92 is connected through a switch 104 anda battery 106 to earth. The battery 106 is preferably such that it delivers a pressure of 12 volts. The switch 104 is preferably of the known impulse type, which after being manually closedremains closed .for a predetermined interval and thereafter opens automatically. The switch 104 is preferably under the control of the supervisor. By adjustment of the time during which the switch 104 remains closed and by adjustment of the resistances 104 and 102 it may be arranged that the lamps 32 and 7.4 produce properly exposedimages upon the films l4 and 68 respectively every time the switch 104 is closed.

In the operation of the system when the scene is ready and the sound camera 90 and picture camera 100 are brought into position and are interlocked with one another, the switch 104 is closed thus effecting a legend .uponthe sound film 14 and effectinga synchronizing mark in a film 68. Also a picture of a board containing a legend corresponding to that set up onthe collars 34 and 36-may be takenby the picture camera upon the film 68. Thereafter the two cameras 90 and 100 are operated in synchronism with one n another. On subsequent development of the films corresponding images and registration marks appear thereon so that there is no dimculty in assembling a picture film and the corresponding sound film in proper position in the' printing operation.

It will be appreciated that the abovedescripjtion is given by way of example only and that many modifications may be made-without .departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with aphotographic camera, of a subsidiary exposing device for producing reference characters on said camera film, said device comprising a light-tight chamber having a lens in one wall thereof, a plurality of adjustable legend bearing surfaces within said chamber, a light source, and means located without said chamber for separately adjusting each of said legend bearing surfaces.

2. A subsidiary exposing device for a photographic camera comprising a light-tight chamber, a plurality of legend bearing surfaces there- 1 in, a light source for illuminating said surfaces, said legend bearing surfaces comprising a plurality of cylindrical collars severally mounted on nested hollow spindles which project through the wall of said chamber, and means external to said chamber and attached to said spindles for ad- 3. A subsidiary exposing device for a photographic camera comprising a light-tight chamber, a plurality of legend bearing surfaces mounted therein, said legend bearing surfaces comprising a plurality of cylindrical collars severallymounted on nested hollow spindles which project through the walls of'said chamber, means external to said chamber and attached to said spindles for adjusting said legend bearing surfaces, a light source for illuminating said surgraphic camera com rising a light-tight cham-- ber, a plurality oi legend bearing suriaces, a light source for illuminating said surfaces, andineans whereby said legend bearing surfaces may be adjusted external to said chamber, said means comprising a plurality of cylindrical collars external to said chamber and bearing legends corresponding to the legends on said legend bearing surfaces, and means connecting said collars to said legend suriaces.

JAWS A. MILLER. STANLEY s. A. wnms. GEOFFREY A. SIMPSON. 

